In this edition of ‘Meet the Locals’ we introduce Chris Allan, born and bred in Yorkshire, Chris moved to Edinburgh to study horticulture back in 2010 and ended up on a brewing and distilling course…..has been here ever since. Chris has always had a passion for feeding people and is a keen cook and a brewer so founding Some Funguys was the perfect career move for him. Read on to find out more about this unique idea and how you can grown your own mushrooms too.
First up, please tell us the concept of Some Funguys?
Some Funguys is a low tech/low waste cold gourmet mushroom farm producing a variety of gourmet mushroom grow-at-home kits in the heart of Edinburgh.
Developed out of a passion for mycology, foraging and a drive to not sit around during the COVID 19 pandemic, I started researching and developing low tech, low waste mushroom production. I am keen to give people the tools for them to produce choice edible mushrooms in their own home.
Tell us more about how the idea came about for Some Funguys and how you made it a reality?
The idea came about by sharing mushroom growing tips with other mushroom growing friends. After spending plenty of time surfing the internet finding tips and tricks during the first lockdown, I realised I had the time and ability and saved funds to set up after restrictions eased..
Describe a typical day for you (if one exists!)
A typical day consists of standing and staring at bags of colonising mycelium in an incubator or researching digital marketing techniques. Other days, I focus on the production or shipping of the grow-at-home kits. No two days are the same for a fun guy like me.
Where did your love for mycology and foraging come from?
My love for mycology and foraging stems from my love for the great outdoors and gardening. Growing up in a household that regularly did outdoor activities, I got to spend a lot of time outside, which taught me to appreciate flora, fauna and fungi. I grew vegetables in the family garden and got an allotment of my own at 16. A big inspiration for my green fingers was my grandfather, who I spent countless hours helping at his allotment.
Where are the best places to forage in/ near Edinburgh?
A good forager never tells, however, I am not that good. Out towards Tynningham has some good spots for Chantarelles, I hear.
Share with us an amazing mushroom fact.
Electrical signals in mushrooms can be recorded to make music (Google: Melvyn Sheldrake – Entangled Life song)
Favourite mushroom based recipe and why?
My partner and I enjoy making mushroom and smoked tofu tortellini. I roll out the fresh pasta and she shapes the tiny tortellini. We listen to a good podcast in the background and within an hour, we’ve got dozens of beautiful bite-sized miracles!
As a small, independent and ethical business operating in such strange times Covid has thrust upon us you must have faced some difficult challenges – tell us about them and how you have overcome them.
Initially, I was planning on selling fresh mushrooms to restaurants, but this quickly proved difficult as all the local eateries shut down. A month after I mixed up my first batch of mushroom logs, all the restaurants closed down, so myself and my closest friends had to get through a lot of mushrooms (no one has complained). Every cloud has a silver lining, of course. I had to pivot to selling mushroom kits, which proved to be popular with people stuck at home looking for something to stare at (other than the four walls). In a world where the journey of food is increasingly obscure, there was a niche for a guy sharing his love of mushrooms.
Who is your typical customer? If such a person exists.
Anyone can grow mushrooms, that’s the beauty of it! It’s simple enough, but people seem to really resonate with it. A grow-at-home kit can be a cool science experiment for a teenager or an exciting time-lapse for a budding photographer and, obviously, pride and joy of a vegan foodie.
Top tip for anyone who is keen to try out one of your grow-at-home kits.
Misting is fundamental. You cannot overwater your mushrooms with the spray bottle.
Please tell us of any exciting plans instore for Funguys.
Introducing new mushroom varieties. I have a couple of experiments on the go currently and I cannot wait to share them with the world. Think gourmet rare mushrooms that you would never find on a supermarket shelf and wouldn’t be allowed to pick if you stumble upon them in the woods.
Where is your own Hidden Edinburgh and why?
I really enjoy finding shortcuts down century-old back alleys and discovering something new in a city that I’ve spent over a decade in.
Life motto if you have one.
I have two;
Do something everyday that you want to tell someone about.
Never deal in absolute statements..
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